On October 18, 1983, a Luscombe 8A (registration N2041B) was involved in an aviation accident near Casa Grande, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The instructor stated that not having brakes on his side of the aircraft contributed to the mishap. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a dual instructional flight, a student landing from the left seat encountered a right quartering gust on the fourth landing. The aircraft, equipped with brakes only on the left side, veered right into a drainage ditch. The instructor stated that lacking brakes on his side contributed to the mishap.
Incident Details
A training flight with dual instruction was underway. The student pilot, seated on the left, was conducting landing maneuvers. The aircraft was equipped with braking controls on the left side only; the instructor on the right had no brake controls.
During the fourth landing of the session, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind reported as a right quartering wind from the rear. Following this encounter, the aircraft veered to the right. It departed the intended landing area and came to rest in a drainage ditch.
Instructor's Statement
The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that the absence of brakes on his side of the aircraft contributed to the mishap.
Probable cause
The instructor stated that not having brakes on his side of the aircraft contributed to the mishap.